Gurnoor Brar credits domestic cricket and India with a strong international start

India’s latest pace sensation Gurnoor Brar made an impressive start to his ODI career against Afghanistan, emerging as India’s leading wicket-taker in the series with six wickets in two matches. The fast bowler from Punjab impressed with his pace, bounce and ability to execute under pressure on his debut international outing.

His rapid rise reflects the strength of India’s domestic cricket structure and the journey of India A, which continues to produce accomplished international performers.

“I don’t think about it (reputation) much. I believe in myself and whatever I do, be it a hard length or fast bowling. I tried to repeat that here,” he said after India won the series by 170 runs. “It was the same for me as when I was bowling in Ranji, bowling fast, hitting a hard length and swinging the ball. I tried to replicate exactly the same in India A and hit the same lines.”

For Brar, the transition to international cricket has been shaped by repetition, exposure and learning at multiple levels, from the Ranji Trophy to India A and the high-intensity environment of the IPL. He credited structured domestic tours and exposure in the dressing room alongside senior fast bowlers for helping him improve his game before entering the international scene.

This guy from Gurnoor has a debut, 6 wickets in 2 ODIs. Yet the online is quiet! Nobody talks about him. Absolutely zero noise around him and the series. Is it after IPL burnout or are ODIs completely irrelevant now? what’s going onpic.twitter.com/jFRRZIwtic— Niraj Rush (@NirajRush) June 17, 2026

“I am thankful to God that I got a chance to show what I can do with India,” he adds. “There is a very good atmosphere at Gujarat Titans. There is (Ashish) Nehra sir, (Kagiso) Rabada, (Mohammed) Siraj bhai, Prasidh (Krishna) bhai and Ishant Sharma, so you can learn a lot from them. I was also waiting for my chance there and kept looking at where I could improve.”

HE WANTS TO GET BETTER

Despite his strong start, Brar insists he is far from done with his development, repeatedly stressing that improvement remains a priority over early success. His performances have already shown his ability to hit hard lengths, extract bounce and deliver yorkers at the death, but he believes there is much more to come.

“I’m not satisfied. I’m happy that I did well, but I want to do more for Team India. I want to keep getting better. I’m just doing my job.”

This mindset became central to his rise, especially in pressure situations where he relied heavily on execution and clarity rather than raw pace. With the support of the team management and guidance from the senior players, Brar’s focus now shifts to consistency – turning promising spells into lasting impact across different conditions and opposition.

India play their final ODI match against Afghanistan on Saturday, June 20 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

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Published on:

18 Jun 2026 10:47 IST